A Saiyans' Strength
by Zailz-101
Summary: Strength comes in many different forms. Follow Pan, Trunks, and Vegeta as our characters begin a journey through new trials and obstacles. This story takes place following the end of Dragonball Z. A slew of possibilities are open to our heroine: time travel, space travel, new enemies, love. (I'm not telling who with) rating will go up later on, mostly for graphic fight scenes.
1. Disclaimer & Chapter 1

*!*!* Disclaimer- First and most important, I own nothing. DBZ and all related characters are property of Akira Toriyama.  
*** Secondly, this is my first story, ever. Feel free to leave any kind of review, even a nasty one. The only way I can grow as a writer is if I get all types of feedback.  
***I will update at a regular pace, and I will compete this story. I hate to start getting attached to a story and plot only to have it never continue, so I won't do it to you guys.  
***Also I have the most awesome, helpful Beta in the world, so a giant THANK YOU to SSJ2LUKE! Without you, I would have never gotten even this far.  
-I do believe all my extra yapping is done, so I hope you enjoy the first chapter, the second is already underway.

CHAPTER 1

"I don't understand why you have to act like such an idiot Trunks!" The fiery young Saiyan burst through the backdoor of Capsule's main house and into the kitchen.

"Pan, I swear if you don't chill out and calm down-" Trunks retort was cut short.

"You'll what? Tell me off? Send me to my room?" Her indignation was palpable.

Vegeta's eyes perked momentarily, "Boy, you'd better have a damn good reason for disturbing my lunch..."

Trunks took note of his fathers harsh glare. Shrinking back slightly, he gave a small shrug. "...Sorry father, Pan is throwing a temper tantrum." He explained briefly before easing out of the kitchen and running up the stairs to corner the girl in her makeshift bedroom.

Vegeta rolled his eyes. Gohan's spawn rarely devolved into these 'Temper Tantrums...' Normally a situation had to transpire for her to become so volatile.

Shaking his head, Vegeta thought more about his own brats. Those two were a couple of spoiled, whiney, silver spooned, Saiyan brats. They spent more time at those earthling malls than they did training. When the two actually did manage to fit in a sparring session, they lazily produced the same results they had as teens. Vegeta realized just how disappointing it was; watching his children squander their birthrights, natural ability, and talent.

It was at that point Vegeta realized how wasted those gifts were. Where his children never fought for growth and betterment, Gohans' brat struggled daily with those aspects and more.

Vegeta heaved himself up from the table. With an inaudible sigh, the older male stalked back toward the gravity chamber, to resume his daily training.

Pan rummaged through her plain wooden dresser, tossing clothes haphazardly into the duffel bag left lying open at her feet. She stood in front of the mirror, recalling what had set her off in the first place.

She had been taking a break in between her exercises... nothing abnormal there. It was now around noon and she had been training alone in the woods since around 6 o'clock that morning. Finally having worn herself down to the point of exhaustion, she had found a place close to where she'd felt Trunks and Goten training. For some reason the constant feel of their kis' rising and falling lulled her into a restful sleep.

Pan awoke to the myriad of pebbles, rocks, and dust, pelting her now conscious self. Curling into a ball, she twisted and rolled behind a tree for cover. Just as the rocks stopped flying, she came around from behind the tree.  
Searching for the obvious sources of destruction, Pan's gaze rose to the sky. Trunks and Goten were no longer sparring above her, instead the men came to settle directly in front of her.

"Hey guys, what's going on?" Pan assumed they were probably just really into their fight and didn't take notice her sleeping below. Hindsight only just telling her a nap within range of any attack probably wasn't the best of ideas. She was just so tired.

Goten stood, eyes buldging, surveying Pan from head to toe. "Pan, are you crazy! What're you doing down here! You could've gotten hurt. Or worse!"

Pan quirked one eyebrow, looking from side to side in confusion. Completely unsure of why he was freaking out on her at all.

"Gohan is going to kill me!" As Gotens' panic was escalating, Pan's frustration rose alongside it.

"You're joking, right Uncle? It was just a bit of dirt, I'm perfectly fine. I was just resting before I started up again. I just happened to be a bad judge of distance this time. I thought I was far enough back to not be in the way." Pan felt the need to explain herself.

It's not like she was hurt, or even could've been injured, in her opinion. She wasn't fragile by any means. The incredulous look on her face, seemed to spur Trunks into making some harsh statements.

"Pan you're always in the way and underfoot. We had to actually stop what we were doing, just to come and check on you. When we train, we shouldn't have to watch you. You're a big girl now, aren't you? You should know better than to sit so close, especially when we aren't paying attention to you." Trunks may not have meant to come across so condescending, but that was how Pan had heard it.

"Guys, I never asked you to watch out for me. I don't need baby sitters. I train on my own... Everyday! Don't act so high and mighty because you've found time to train once or twice a week!" Pan snorted and turned to walk away. Trunks, however, wasn't done validating his point.

"Stop acting childish Pan... Walking off to pout, after getting in trouble for your own bad decisions. There's no reason for you to even bother with training, it's not like you can or will ever be able to catch up."

Trunks could tell he had finally struck a nerve, but kept pushing. "You were caught in one small, stray blast; you couldn't even defend yourself from a few small rocks." Trunks was only slightly kidding, there were no visible scratch on her. He was just frustrated from feeling the need to stop what he was doing to make sure she was okay. He was angry with himself for being worried about her at all. She should have never been out there.

Pan's jaw nearly hit the floor, "You're kidding right...?" She looked spitefully towards Goten; he of all people knew what she put into her training, and how much it meant to her.

Being to caught up in seeing Trunks joking around, Goten added insult to injury. "Well Pan, it does get tiring having to watch you all the time. You should probably just hang out with Bra at the house and do something other girls your age do."

Pan didn't understand, what had she done to ever be thought of as a joke and a nuisance to anyone.

Trunks took a step towards her, inspecting the young girl for any other injuries. Even the small nicks and scraps that might have been overlooked.

"Back off, Trunks!" Pan scrambled back, finally registering their insensitive words. She kicked off the ground in haste. Flying back towards Capsule corporation, she could feel her blood boiling. Her anger made her ki flare around her erratically.

Trunks and Goten watched as she blasted off. "Hey, I think we actually hurt her for real that time." Goten watched her trail disappear in the distance.

Trunks nodded, "Yeah, let me go talk to her. I mean... She still shouldn't be out here, you saw what could've happened to her."

Pan froze as she heard movement on the other side of her bedroom door. Her glared hardened as the offenders shadow settled on the floor in front of her.

"Trunks Vegeta Briefs! I said,"Back off!" Go back out to train with uncle Goten!" She was seething. Every hair on her small frame prickled with the agitation of having to defend herself from her supposed friend and mentor.

"Pan, honestly, can't we talk? I didn't mean to say it like that, okay? I thought... well, I didn't really thi-" Before he had even finished trying to defend himself, the door flew open and into the wall behind it. Sheet rock and wood splinters crumbled down onto the floor.

"No! You didn't think at all, did you!" She continued in one breath, "You humiliated me, and then thought making a joke out of all my hard work, wouldn't blow up in your smug face!" She finally paused for a moment, attempting to reign herself in.

Trunks took a step forward into the doorway, intending to block her escape. Pan's hard stare only darkened.

"I said, get out of my face Trunks!" With a sharp inhale, she jammed her heel down into the toe of Trunks' boot. He was momentarily stunned as the cracking sound registered in his ears.

Shocked and in pain, Trunks stumbled back into the hallway, displacing the weight off his injured toes. Gritting his teeth and seething under his breath, he tried once more.

"Panny, I'm trying to apologize. Why can't you just grow up a little and understand. I didn't mean to make light of the work you do..." He took a slow steadying breath, attempting to gauge her reaction.

"I meant what I said though, there is no place for you on the battlefield, you just can't hack it. You don't have the ability to protect yourself, let alone anyone else." He rattled on long enough that he felt his point was made. The look on her face said otherwise.

"When I said, "Go away." I wasn't giving you permission to stand here and keep running your mouth. I meant I was done. Don't tell me I need to grow up, I'm not a child for you and Uncle to scold. I am not some little girl who needs protecting anymore Trunks!" She stood her ground trying to convey why she was so hurt and angry over his thoughtless words.

"I train and I fight everyday. Where are you? You're too busy with work. Uncle Goten? He's too busy chasing girls... Even Papa, with all of the hidden potential in the universe; he is more focused on work than he is about fighting for anyone!" She was visibly shaking at this point. "Don't you ever say that all my hard work and effort, is worth any less than the bare minimum, that all of you put in."

Trunks shook his head as he leveled his gaze at her." Pan you still don't get it... You will never be able to reach what we have. You aren't capable of what we are able to do. You just can't. Nothing can change the fact that you clearly aren't enough of a Saiyan." He finished softy.

Pan could feel her insides boiling at his words. She debated the reality of them, and how he wasn't saying anything she didn't already think herself. Her strength and her determination to be better, just weren't his to discuss and belittle.

"I wonder how you show our human friends, the Z fighters, how their abilities and strength matter so little. How insignificant they must seem compared to you..." Shouldering her duffel bag, she felt her hand twitch slightly. Taking a step forward, she thrust a palm full of ki directly into his face.

"Stay out of my way." With that she strode passed him, down the stairs and out through the back door of the home.

Vegeta hadn't missed the yelling from outside. He doubted they knew the window was left open, or how loud the doors' impact was against the now shattered wall. He had stood and listened to their exchange.

He listened as the young female not ony defended herself, but the other fighters as well. She was much like her predecessors in that way. The girls' heart was pure, no doubt of that. She smothered anyones attempt to put down others for what they strive to attain.

He felt a rise in Trunks' ki and then the last bit of yelling. Afterwards, there was nothing but deafening silence.

That girl and silence are normally a deadly combination. All he felt was her ki signature shifting. A persons ki never twists inside the body like that. He'd never felt that kind of change in any of the fighters he'd encountered, even before he had come to reside on earth. Most changes, like that, happened over time and with cause; like his own gradual shift into the light, to help fight for others instead of against them.

The dramatic change radiating from the girl, was one that was similar to a Saiyans' reason for transformation. A quick and searing burst of emotion. Instead of turning that outward to use, she bottled and dispersed it. He could feel something teetering within her... Odd.

Pan lowered her eyes as she walked past Vegeta. She was planning to get to the edge of the compound and then to take off and fly around. Maybe she would stay out and train, maybe she needed some place to be alone for a while.

Vegeta could feel the darkening anger rolling off of her petite frame, it was crashing down like waves with her fluctuating energy levels. He eyed her carefully, trying to discern her state of mind.

"Yes Prince Vegeta?" Pan wasn't in the mood for anymore harsh words or realizations, but she felt his eyes boring into her. Few people deserved respect, but to her, Vegeta was one of those few.

"Girl, I do not know of what has transpired between you and my own brat... However, you are aware that respect is earned, not given. Considering the female population of planet Vegeta, you've far surpassed what you were stationed for." She nodded but didn't respond.

"My apologies Vegeta, I have to be somewhere. Thank you... For your words..." she took a couple of steps back then turned to take her leave.

Vegeta stalled her one last time." You aren't wrong... strength is not as simple as a high power level."

Pan felt her eyes beginning to sting, before she made a weakling of herself, she took to the sky.

She flew south, passed the rest of West City. Past the edges of South City, then even further south, towards the arctic. She needed some time to herself, she needed to sort out her thoughts and sort what she felt. The cold air of the mountains and the snow seemed like as good a place as any to start over, to build herself back up.

Trunks stood motionless in the hallway, fresh cuts and ash marks littered his face. He was still in disbelief, she'd never pulled a point-blank shot like that when she was upset before. Then again he'd never voiced his opinions to her either.

Pan would have normally retaliated by scheming or getting mad and stomping off. He made his way out into the yard, set to resume his training with Goten. Thinking idly about her last statements.

"...Boy." Vegeta noted his slight favoring of the other foot and his disheveled appearance.

"Not right now father." Trunks sent a slight glare at his father and shook is head.

"You will stop when you are addressed." Trunks noted the militant tone his father had taken. Trunks knew something wasn't quite right. Upon turning and facing Vegeta, Trunks let out a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.

"Yes father." he murmured not wishing to draw too much ire from the older male.

Vegeta eyed his heir skeptically, " That conversation just now, between yourself and Gohan's spawn, was a valid point made?"

Trunks was leery of the direction this was heading. "Father, I didn't tell her anything she didn't already know." He was defensive in his response.

Vegeta nodded for a moment and then spoke again. " So dismissing the fact that the girl trains daily, that she is wholly a subject of the Saiyan people, and she strives for constant growth as a fighter, is something that is so simple to dismiss?"

Trunks could feel himself wanting to shrink back from his father. "But those things aren't going to keep her safe in a fight father. The amount she trains is irrelevant, even with all her efforts, her ki's increase is gradual under the best of circumstances. She is a liability. Someone we always have to keep an eye on. Should worse come to worse, she wouldn't be of help to anyone. I am done playing baby sitter."

After Trunks trailed off, Vegeta shook his head in disappointment.

"Because she is a youngling? Or is it that she has less of our bloodline? Those traits do not make her an invalid. That female, and any other fighter offering their lives for this planet, deserve nothing but respect." Turning back toward his gravity machine, Vegeta offered one last piece of advise to his son.

"As one of your future subjects, maybe you should contribute to her strengths and not delay her progress because you're worried for her safety." With that the door to the Gravity room slid shut behind him. Vegeta had his fill of the hybrids for the day.

Trunks thought about what Vegeta had said on his short flight to meet back up with Goten. Pan wasn't weak, she just wasn't one of the strongest. Were his reasons for shutting her down really because she wasn't meant to be a fighter? He had some thinking to do.

As for her being underfoot, she normally kept to herself. Trunks thought about when he had started taking note of her wondering more around the grounds of Capsule sorporation. Thinking back, Trunks realized that since the age of twelve, it seemed as though Pan had moved in down the hall; that was about four years ago now.

Gohan and Videl worked abroad a lot of the time. Between Gohans' lectures and Videls' appearances with her father, Mr. Satan, Trunks couldn't recall the last time Pan had actually spent time around her parents. She was always training around Capsule Corp. Pan still seemed so childish. She had grown, he had just never taken notice.

She had gotten a little taller but her build favored her mothers, compact and lethal. Her dark hair had grown, cascading down the middle of her back. She had only barely changed her choice in clothing. She wore the soft cotton training pants that Goku had left as well as a black tank top with her same little fingerless gloves. That bright orange bandana was now tied around her wrist, instead of holding her hair back from her face.

In comparison she was a completely different person than before, but she still seemed the same, he had just overlooked her. Trunks had never noticed all the subtle changes that took place. He had always seen her as a child to protect, someone he had to watch out for. He shook his head feeling some slight pangs of guilt.

Seeing Goten waiting ahead of him, Trunks resolved to talk to Pan once she returned; she was never gone for more than a couple of days, maybe a week if she was angry enough.


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer was posted on the first chapter, so it's applied to all chapters right? "I own nothing!"  
Thank you _**Jonnie Joke**_ for my first awesome review. As well as a huge thanks again to my beta SSJ2LUKE!

Chapter 2

Landing in the frost bitten arctic, Pan took in her new surroundings. Absolutely zero trees, and maybe a few caves in the mountains to her right. Looking down, she took note of the thick ice beneath her boots, and the snow banks that rose up to her left.

"I'd have better luck staying low and out of the mountains. Air gets to cold so high up..." She glanced to her left again.

"No option for fire, so how to contain heat?" She walked over to the snow banks, still pondering over the best kind of shelter for the area. Pan tugged the bag higher on her shoulder.

"Igloo with a snow coat to insulate." Over the last few years, she kept to herself mostly. Talking to herself, had been a formed habit of her isolation. It's not like she and Bra had any common interests to talk about.

After reaching the embankment, she noticed a few large paw prints scattered about. Finding game in these conditions would most likely be what improved her situation.

"Bears, wolves, and maybe some snow hares..." She began work on her shelter, the ice underneath her feet being priority, for the moment.

Using a small amount of her Ki, she began carving blocks from the ice. The outline held the appearance of a glazed over sidewalk. After her outlines were formed, she raised and open palm above her head. Sending an attack straight underneath, to separate the ice from the earth.

After arranging blocks in their dome-like shape, Pan began to shovel snow around the perimeter. She built snow up the sides, and over the roof of the roughly built structure. Upon completing her new home, for however long she felt like staying, Pan left for her first hunt in the area.

Meanwhile, above the forest, to the east of West city, Trunks and Goten clashed together. Bright flashes of light were all that could be seen from the ground below, as the two went head to head repeatedly.

Just as Goten's fist was about to connect with the underside of Trunks' jaw, he pulled back.

"Trunks...can we talk?" Goten slowly descended to the earth below. Trunks was grateful that his friends blow deflated, before his teeth were left rattling around in his skull.

Dropping down next to his partner, Trunks noticed the pensive stare he had directed towards his feet. "What's going on Goten? I'm not used to seeing you so serious." Trunks took a seat against one of the larger stones that littered the area.

Goten sat next to him, wondering how to word what was running through his head.

"It's just that... Well that whole encounter with Pan. It's bothering me." His brow lines deepened the more he thought.

"Goten, what's really going on? We both know she shouldn't be out here or risking her life in one of our fights." Trunks crossed his arms, trying to ignore what his father had said.

"That's just it Trunks, she does have just as much right to fight as we do." he crossed his legs and perched himself a little higher on the rock. " Trunks, you're my best friend. But, you really don't understand how much of what we said, really hurt her."

Trunks' shoulders dropped. Pan screaming at him, he could justify. His father taking the time to point out his flawed thoughts and actions, had brought on some remorse. However, Goten feeling so disturbed by their words, made him really think. Goten was hardly thoughtful but when he was, it meant that he had messed up severely.

"What do you want me to say Goten? She's still just a girl. I can't picture her ever being ready to carry the kind of weight that comes with defending the Earth. We eventually die for the people of this planet, and they don't even know what we do for them." Trunks knew he was hitting closer to the truth, closer as to why he had blown up and said what he did.

Goten flinched, "We've already died once for them, remember Buu?" Trunks nodded.

"We've come closer, more than a couple of other times, and all before we even hit twenty years old. Goten do you want that for her?" Trunks was grasping at straws to make Goten see his side.

Goten smiled softly at his friend and dropped a hand to his shoulder. "No Trunks, I don't. But it's not my choice... It's on Pan, whether she wants to fight, or not. It would be her sacrifice and her choice."

"She's too much like Goku, and like Gohan too." Trunks could feel his knuckles turning white, this wasn't a realization that came easily for him. " You said I don't understand how much she wants this... How do you know?" Trunks was giving in, knowing he was at least partially in the wrong.

Goten shook his head. "Maybe you just need to pay more attention. If you can't see what it means to her, after seeing what she puts herself through, then you're blind." Goten jumped down and began some light stretching.

Trunks was more than surprised. Had he really overlooked her to that degree? Maybe he's been too focused on the mundane things in his life, like work and making sure his families company ran smoothly. "I should back off of work for a bit. I wonder if Mom would mind?"

Gotens smile broadened, "Maybe we should both work a bit harder to be better. You think the girls would be upset if I took myself off the market for a bit?"

Trunks burst out laughing, "Oh what ever will they do without you..." With eyes rolling, Trunks dropped back into his stance. "Round two Goten. First one to black out loses and cooks dinner."

Goten placed a hand to his stomach, as it gave a low rumble. "Then I guess you must be ready for a nap my friend, Cause I'm starving!" Following suit, Goten dropped low, then shot forward, trying his best to land a devastating blow to the other Saiyan.

Back at Capsule Corporation, Vegeta turns the corner, leaving Bulma's labs, in the basement of the compound.

Bulma releases a large breath that she'd been holding. Elbows against her desk, and legs crossed before her; Bulma tried to picture what exactly she wanted this new invention to do.

Her most recent talk with Vegeta was unexpected. However, what she had expected, as he strode up to her desk with purpose, were more demands for his precious training equipment.

The purpose for his visit had nothing what-so-ever to do with himself, odd. Her Prince was normally very singularly driven, and he never visited her labs. This must be very important to him.

Bulma was still attempting to formulate how this was going to work as she picked up the phone and dialed in Mount Paozu.

"Hey Chi, I need to ask you about a few things. Is now a good time?" Bulma barely knew where to start. But this wasn't a decision she could make in good conscience.

Chichi held the phone to her ear, anxiety began creeping in. "Is Pan alright?" With Goku gone and knowing how Gohan and Videl had been off working, well that's what they called it. Sticking around just wasn't a top priority for them after Pan had made her choices known.

"Why would you think something was wrong?" This wasn't how Bulma expected her friend to answer. "Pan's doing very well, but she is the reason I'm calling." She heard ChiChi sigh in relief.

"That girl worries me sometimes. I know Gohan and Videl haven't been around her a whole lot in the past couple of years and she only calls me every so often. It was getting to be about that time, so I went and thought the worst. She's just so much like Goku..." ChiChi trailed off in thought after a moment.

"Okay, so then what I'm about to ask, may not come as much of a surprise then." Bulma smiled softly, Pan's regular contact with her Grandmother truly did surprise her. Chichi was always the last to know anything. Normally by the time Chichi finds anything out, someone has either died or is severely injured. That explained her initial reaction.

"Go ahead, what's on your mind Bulma?" Chichi settled herself in a kitchen chair.

Bulma took a breath to steady her nerves. "Okay, Well about Pan, she has made it known recently, that she wants to be a fighter. Well, Vegeta was telling me about her training, like what's lacking, and how she can reach the goals she's set for herself. Chichi, I never realized how much she wants to be stronger... So much drive."

Bulma was still in awe over all that Vegeta had to say about the young Saiyan. He never placed that much interest on any of the other warriors.

Chichi smiled brightly as she listened, she knew exactly how much Pan wanted to fight and be the one for others to depend on... These were the reasons for Gohan and Videl avoiding coming back, they didn't agree and refused to help her reach her goals.

"Bulma, what exactly are you wanting to ask?" Chichi was still smiling, she would give anything for Pan to overcome her weaknesses and reach the heights she strived for.

"Honestly, Vegeta wants me to make a device for her. A device for space travel. Maybe a ship, one that teleports using coordinates or something. A way she can explore and gain new experiences. Maybe learn more about herself, and pick up new techniques from other planets." Bulma knew when she started to ramble she should stop.

Chichi thought for a moment. "Would you be able to know where the ship was?"

Bulma sat in shock for a moment. "... I could install a tracker. Yes." She didn't know what Chichi's thoughts were just yet.

"And would we be able to talk to her?" Chichi realized she was much more like her Grandfather than she thought. Leave it to Vegeta to make some sense though. No one in her own family was willing to train her or help her. Chichi made the decision the she would.

" Of course I could make that possible... Chi, are you really going to let her go?" Never, in Bulma's wildest imagination, did she think this would go over so easily. Chichi hated that her Husband and boys all fought, why was this different.

"Bulma, I would never intentionally hold her from something she wanted this much. Her goals are the whole reason there is a hole in their family right now. Gohan won't help her, and Videl doesn't want her going off and putting herself in danger either." Chichi was almost in tears.

"Bulma it's not that I don't care if she goes, I never wanted this for my babies, especially not for Pan. However, I've learned that their need to fight comes from somewhere deep down inside, there really is no stopping them. This will make her happy." Chichi's voice finally cracked as she imagined the biggest smile on her Granddaughters face.

"Chi, you know if it gets too quiet up there, I would love for you to visit more often. Maybe you could even stay for a while, it's going to take a little bit for me to finish this project." Bulma sat back in her chair, all those anxious little butterflies fled from her belly.

Smiling brightly Chichi nodded. "I would love to. Have Pan call me when she has some time, okay?"

"Alright Chi, I will. It may be a little while though. Pan and Trunks butted heads this morning so she took a trip to sort herself. At least that was what came from Vegeta." Bulma chuckled softly, maybe Pan had been hanging around here too long, she adopted Vegeta's sulking habits.

"Oh my! Well, when she gets back then. If she was really mad, she should've just hit him and been done with it. That's all I have to do." Chichi gave a small laugh.

As the conversation came to a close, Vegeta resumed his walk back towards the kitchen. He was pleasantly surprised by what he had over heard. At least one member of her family saw to the girls needs.

The gravity room hummed as it came to life. Adjusting the gravity settings, and setting the training robots programming, Vegeta settled into his usual routine. The bots whizzed and whirled about his head. Electrical pulses shot from the bots central core, crisscrossing across Vegeta's face as he tilted his head back.

When the beams are expelled, they charge the air surrounding them, this is reaction training. Using his senses to establish location and timing, have become a reliable skill. As a Saiyan, all of the natural senses are intensified. This particular anatomical advancement, allows for a vastly improved use for this type of training.

Vegeta lost himself in the rhythmic discharges of the bots. Twisting through the air, landing flat so he pressed his chest low to the floor, only to roll to the side and flip backwards to avoid shock therapy. All with eyes closed, using the tingling of his flesh and the tangy spike of electricity his nose perceived.

Hours had passed, "Disengage..." The programmed bots froze, levitating evenly through the air. A thought struck Vegeta while his movements had settled into the steady rhythm. Maybe, once the girl returned, he could take on a new student for a short time. Just until her departure. Surviving against the remaining PTO warriors would be a feat in and of itself for her.

The Planetary Trade Organization, well what remained of it, were the Planets and people whom fell under Freiza's control. Many planets may not be aware of Frieza's death, word doesn't travel fast when the ruler is a tyrant. The only people aware of that battles outcome were on Planet Namek at the time, no one made it off alive. New Namek wasn't even in the same Galaxy as the original Namek had been.

Vegeta's smirk was evident as he threw a towel over his shoulder and headed back towards the showers. This could benefit more than just the girl.

Pan shifted against the furs that lined her shelter. She'd brought down enough food for at least two weeks. After cleaning the flesh and fat from the furs, she used them as insulators between herself and the solid layer of ice beneath. She buried the meat under the snow to preserve it. Darkness had settled, she sat back preparing her meal with a contented laziness. A burst of ki lit up her palm as the chunk flesh sizzled and popped.

"I'll head back after the foods gone... Not in any hurry to get back there." She tore into her dinner thoughtfully, recalling conversations between herself and the people she cared for most. Trunks almost held the same opinion as her Papa. Maybe he would react in the same fashion, didn't matter anyways. Pan knew she wouldn't break her resolve, she wasn't alive just to please others.

"I'm going to get stronger, I'm capable of being more than the runt of the litter." her head slowly tilted to the side and her eyes began to sag as she teetered on the edge of sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**** I apologize for the issues, it uploaded and posted the wrong chapter!***  
Fixed now, Hopefully

Same as before ( I own nothing).  
Thanks so much to the reviewers: LVR4Trunks-n-Vegeta.  
I'm also thanking my amazing beta SSJ2LUKE (you're amazing!)

Onward to the new chapter!

Chapter 3-

Bulma sat, gazing up at the white tiled ceiling of her lab. The concept of this device was simple enough. Implementing the concept into a functioning device, was not as simple.  
Without having remote communicating receivers installed on pretty much every planet in the devices directory, this plan was just that; a plan, with no ability for completion.

Leaning over her desk, Bulma lifted her steaming cup of coffee to her lips. It had been maybe three weeks since the beginning of this endeavor. Construction of the device was no closer now, than when the idea had been originally proposed.

The aroma of the drink before her, calmed her agitation only slightly. Bulma snatched some old plans and papers off of the corner of her desk, and with a solid tug she opened the bottom drawer. Just as she was about to dump the papers into the infamous, 'drawer of no return', something green and reflective caught her eye.

"Vegeta's old scouter?" She didn't recall having thrown that into her junk drawer. With a smile, she dug down to retrieve the item. Placing the domed metal shell over her ear, she tapped the power icon. Menus from the device's core programming flitted across the screen.

"Updates available for Planetary Trade Organization mapping system..." The scouter's automated system kicked in and Bulma kicked back in her office chair.

"Begin Updates..." The scouter beeped its affirmative response. Coordinate locations and planetary information flashed across the screen, broadening the original selection.

"Bingo..." Bulma's smirk mirrored that of her husbands as she crossed her arms over her chest and waited for the system updates completion.

Across the continent, and down into the frozen wasteland of the arctic, Pan sat atop the mountain that was originally positioned to the east of her location.

"...Training without ki for three weeks. I'm FREEZING!" Pan was not a fan of extreme climates. Screaming into the vast emptiness of white seemed to help though. She would get back to the shelter, eat her last meal for the night, then wake the next morning, and head back towards Capsule Corporation.

"Now that I have a plan, how about a way down? Hiking just doesn't sound like much fun right now..." Her gaze shifted from left to right as she examined her surroundings.

All she could make use of, was the cliff face. Pan wandered over to the cliff side and examined the rock. With a smirk, she pulled her fist back, then struck down at an angle. A flat, wide chunk of rock broke away from the mountain face. Pan examined her handy work, the slab that had broken off was long and narrow.

"Snowboarding it is then." Ki rationing had not limited her movements, still as lithe and agile, Pan ran and leapt over the cliffs edge, placing her feet evenly across the slab. She slid across the face of the snow-covered hill with ease.

Gliding through the snow drifts and boulders, over ridges and recesses, a genuine smile graced her features. Pan loved the outdoors, maybe not the freezing cold, but definitely being out and feeling adventurous. When she was alone, she could be who she wanted.

She could have her cravings for adventure, her fighting, her training, and she wouldn't see herself as a failure. Feeling a sense of happiness for the first time in a while, she let out a small giggle.

Maybe what she was craving so badly, wasn't just a power level or even some legendary transformation. It was possible all she yearned for was an adventure of her own.

As that last thought struck her, Pan came to a slow gliding stop at the base of the mountain. "Home sweet home..." She shook the hair from her eyes as she began her trek back to the igloo.

"What, woman?" Vegeta stomped into Bulma's lab, angry at her early termination of his training program. It wasn't even lunch time yet. "I'm assuming, that by overriding the machine, and having me fly into a wall, you have found a solution?"

Bulma took note of her husband's eye twitching and his knuckles turning white in frustration. With a hand shielding her growing smile, she gave a slight nod.

"Actually, I'm very proud of this accomplishment." She crossed her legs and folded her arms over her chest.

"Well... Out with it already! You are overly smug." Vegeta was never known for his patience.

A single brow rose as Bulma glared straight into Vegeta's eyes. "Listen here buddy! You don't get to take this away from me!" As quickly as she had crossed the distance between them, she had her finger jabbed into his chest.

"...Woman..." A low growl rumbled through his chest. Bulma took that as a very nice warning.

"Okay, okay. Answer me this. How were the old scouters able to communicate across galaxies?" Bulma's grin broadened as Vegeta answered.

"They're connected. Throughout Frieza's domain, being this quadrant of the universe, there were many satellites and towers set up to reach the distances required for communication. King Cold began the PTO long before Frieza took over, so it was a process that spanned many years." Vegeta explained what he knew. "How does this pertain to your invention?"

Bulma held her hand out before her, a victory sign firmly in place. "Vegeta! That's exactly what I'm going to use for the teleportation coordinates. I needed a system with preestablished ground work and one that already functioned, because there was no possible way I could manage anything to that degree so quickly." Her speech had increased in speed so rapidly that Vegeta had lost track of her inane ramblings.

"...Woman, if it works, use it. But do not involve me with your musings, I have work to do." Vegeta turned on his heel and began his trek back to gravity machine, pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. She drove him nuts, but she was brilliant; however, he'd never tell her that.

"Vegeta! ...you jerk..." Bulma supposed that maybe she did enjoy her bragging moments a bit more than she should. "Fine, with this system already in place, I'm looking at maybe a month for development and a week to test out the bugs. Let's get moving!"

Her plans finally had a means for accomplishment. Bulma shut her lab door and set to work immediately.

Pan landed softly on the roof of Capsule Corporation, keeping her energy suppressed. She slid down the side of the dome structure, grasping at her window's ledge. She drug the pane of the window up, and swung her legs and body into the room.

"Stealthy entrance accomplished..." Pan's eyes roamed around her room, nothing seemed off, except for the crack and hole that no longer ran up beside her door. Before she had to deal with any of the others, at the bare minimum, she wanted a shower.

No showers in the last month had left her hair a matted mess, and with her heightened senses she almost couldn't stand her own scent. Not to mention her clothes; her gi pants were almost in complete tatters. Her tank top no longer covered her mid-drift. She most definitely needed new boots, and the one jacket she managed to take seemed littered with burnt holes, the elbows completely worn through. To say, ' Her appearance resembled a homeless orphan,' would seem a compliment. The only item to survive her trip had been her bandana.

Pan had a bathroom adjoined to her room. She stripped the rags away from her body and threw them into the sink, and with a small blast, she disintegrated the small pile.

"Bath first, then shower... then new clothes." her nose crinkled as she burnt the offending garments. Turning the water on she debated going down to see Vegeta after, maybe he'd be up for a spar.

Trunks collapsed against a tree by the back door of the compound. He was completely worn out, bruised and bleeding. After his and Goten's talk, they had really began training in earnest again. Trunks hadn't realized just how out of shape he had been. His Super Saiyan form had taken more energy to sustain then it used to. The amount of energy needed to transform at all was mind-blowing.

Resting against the bark of the tree, he noticed the sound of rustling fabric. Following the sound, he caught sight of the open window that led to Pan's room.

"Little sneak..." he grumbled his response. His eyes felt heavy as he sat watching the curtain billowing out in the wind. Before too much thought had gone into her return, Trunks drifted off, exhaustion finally taking its hold.

On Vegeta's way back out to the gravity chamber from Bulma's lab, he took note of the running shower upstairs. Bra was off on some trip with friends and wouldn't return for a week, so it wasn't her. He felt around for Trunks' energy and located him in the yard, so it wasn't him either. Must be the girl.

He could either continue his day like normal, or have an early lunch and wait for the girls decent so he could have a word with her. He was a Saiyan, food always won.

Rummaging through the fridge, Vegeta piled the ingredients for his sandwiches atop the table. An amazing assortment of deli meats and cheeses, as well as an array of pickles, lettuce, and tomatoes were found. Retrieving two loaves of bread from the pantry, he plopped down to assemble his lunch. He may have been in a decent enough mood to make a couple for the girl.

An hour had passed as Pan dried and dressed herself quickly. She opted for the black spandex like pants, a red tank top, and a pair of some worn out boots that probably had belonged to Trunks at one point. She had cleaned the ash and embers from the sink and left her bandana to soak in some soapy water. Pan tied her hair back, pulling the long stands behind her ears.

Grabbing another pair of her gloves from the top drawer of her dresser, she tugged them on as she walked down the steps, and around through the kitchen.

Pan stopped as she stepped inside the door. "...Vegeta." she tilted her head low and then rose the meet his gaze.

Vegeta noticed how she seemed more refreshed and her posture was more relaxed. The excursion had done some good.

"Girl..." he acknowledged her with a nod of his head. "Sit." He leaned forward, taking another bite of his sandwich.

Pan noticed the extra plate with a couple of extra sandwiches on it. With a smile and rumble of her stomach, she pulled the chair away from the table and sat down, immediately digging into the bounty set before her.

Unlike her Grandfather, Pan did have some manners; food wasn't flying at least. Vegeta set his food on his plate, deciding that the best time to talk would be while she couldn't."

"Girl... There is an arrangement that I need to discuss with you. You may give your response after, and only after, I finish with what I have to say." Vegeta waited for her to at least nod in agreement.

Pan slowed her chewing long enough to eye him skeptically, before she gave him a slight nod.

"Bulma is now building a device that will allow for travel between Planets. As long as the locations have an input, you would be able to travel there." He paused to examine her features, she was just staring directly at him, blinking every now and again but otherwise, unchanged.

"As for my understanding of this device, I would assume it is compact and of wearable size. I can't see the use of a ship popping in and out as perceivable. However, until this device is ready for use, I am going to make you an offer. The Planetary Trade Organization may still be active. Meaning that you will need an entirely different skill set than the one you now possess. The PTO was a group that functioned and worked under the Cold family: A group of intergalactic tyrants."

Vegeta shifted in his seat, slightly uncomfortable about voicing his offer. "To prepare you for your future travels, I am offering to expand your skill set and work with you towards your goals." With that statement left hanging, Vegeta picked up his sandwich and resumed his meal.

Pan sat, still staring directly at Vegeta. Not only was she in shock, she was left bewildered. Suddenly, swallowing her current bite of food seemed a daunting task. "I apologize if I'm misunderstanding... But, are you offering to help me train?"

Without lowering his food, Vegeta nodded slowly.

Pan's heart was beating out of her chest. "Did you also offer a way for me to go and traipse about the universe... Alone...?" Her eyes were getting wider with each realization.

Vegeta simply nodded again.

"...When can we start?" Pan felt her excitement escalating. She rose from her chair, palms laid flat against the table top.

Vegeta took a moment to enjoy his food. "After lunch." He resumed munching away, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. His own children never showed this much eagerness to train with him, they were probably terrified of the thought. Pan's excitement ignited a new fire in the older Saiyan. This girl was closer to being anything like a true Saiyan warrior, than any of the others. Vegeta actually felt excitement and a twinge of pride.

Pan crammed her remaining food into her mouth. "Oray, mit ru outfride." Came her muffled response. She bounded out of the back door to wait for Vegeta to follow.

Vegeta's nose scrunched up in disgust as he watched her unmannerly display. "... Brats..." He finished his meal in peace.

Trunks eyes cracked open as he noticed a shadowed figure pass before him. Rubbing at his sleep laced eyes, he took note of the figures shape. The legs were toned but slim, the waist was shapely, and the figure had long, dark hair. Black and red never seemed so appealing on a female before. A small whistle passed between his lips before he could stop himself.

Pan's eyes narrowed having just felt who was behind her. Her entire day seemed soured now. "Trunks... Did you seriously just whistle at me, like I'm some sort of dog?"

Trunks eyes bulged as the voice registered with a face inside his mind. "Panny... Where's your bandana?" His response came out as a squeak.

Pan turned to face the disturbance. "It's dirty, so I'm soaking it. Why?" Through her irritation she failed to notice the blush staining his cheeks or the way he shrunk back, trying to avoid an explanation.

For Trunks, that bandana was what identified her as Pan, he'd never seen her without it. From behind, she looked... well she sure as hell didn't look like little Panny.

Standing up quickly, Trunks turned his back to her. "I'll catch you later, I need grab a shower." He fled to the safety of the house, away from Pan's hard glare.

"Trunks, you're such an idiot. I'll never understand what goes through your head." She rolled her eyes and went to begin some light stretching for her new training.

Vegeta eyed Trunks as he stumbled through the back door. "What was that?" Vegeta wasn't stupid, he heard the interaction and smelt the embarrassment rolling of his heir.

Trunks didn't know what to say. "I was half asleep... I didn't realize who was walking past..." he trailed off. His blush deepened as he shook his head.

Vegeta smirked. "What were you looking at that warranted that type of response? I wonder..." He was having a hard time keeping his commentary light.

"Nothing!" Trunks blurted out and took off towards the stairs to avoid his humiliation.

"It's a shame she can't smell quite as well I can. If she were a bit older, she may have just found you out." Vegeta snickered as he heard Trunks speed increase after his last statement. "Coward..." Vegeta rose and walked out back to begin their new regimen. His grown warrior son was afraid, afraid of a female.

Trunks' blush had since turned a deep purple. His father was right though, the only reason she didn't confront him, was because she'd never been faced with that kind of attention before. It wasn't like he had meant to offer the attention either. He had known Pan forever, there was no reason for that to have happened.

He thought for only a moment more. The view from behind did not scream, 'little Panny'. Pan wore baggy clothes and wouldn't be caught dead without her keepsake bandana. No matter how much that thought stuck with him, he knew he couldn't justify what had happened.

Vegeta walked through the doors of the gravity chamber, a smirk still plastered on his face. Pan noticed and dropped her arms to her side.

"What's so funny?" She asked, curiosity threading her words.

"Nothing, we may begin now." He walked over to the panel and adjusted the gravity to two-hundred times that of Earths'.

Pan had never been in a gravity simulation. Not expecting the immediate pressure, she hit the floor. Growling low in her throat, she let her ki flare around her prone form. "Ouch..." she pulled her face from the floor, and slowly rose to her feet.

Before their first transformations, the highest gravity level any of the half-breeds had managed to withstand was one-fifty to one-seventy-five. Two-hundred and standing was quite the accomplishment.

"How well are you handling this change, are you able to do any warm ups?" Vegeta stood with his arms crossed, watching her compact frame shaking under the strain.

Determined not to appear weak under her new tutelage, Pan pushed and pulled her ki, testing its adaptability. As long as she was cautious and maintained focus she could move, even if it was only enough to do the warm-ups. "I'll be fine." She began a slow kata, transferring weight to and from her body parts to keep her movements fluid.

As Vegeta watched, he felt what she was intending to do. This was new to her, and there was great value in energy manipulation. She was already picking up the basics of it on her own. Vegeta felt the shifts, more energy to the moving appendages, less focused on the areas with more stability.

Her concentration was visible, but her eyes seemed calm as she displaced and spread her movements easily.

"Good. Continue like that for the rest of the afternoon. You lose your focus or let your energy slip, and you may wind up with a mouth-full of floor again." Vegeta turned and assembled the bots for a slower program so he could keep his concentration on her and the delicate movements she was performing.


	4. Chapter 4

Same as before, *** I own nothing, DBZGT&S is all Akira Toriyama***  
Thanks for all the feedback and support.  
Big thanks for my Beta SSJ2LUKE (He puts up with so much!)  
Onward to the story!

Chapter 4

Pan's training had progressed at a steady pace. She and Vegeta kept a very strict routine. The mornings were spent in the gravity room with a dense atmosphere and increased pressures, and the afternoons were filled with different stances and fighting styles. Pan learned to adjust between what she had learned from her grandfather, and into Vegeta's much more aggressive, but structured style.

She had hardly seen Trunks or Goten since the beginning of this new training cycle, and that was fine by her. She may not have been intentionally avoiding them but she did enjoy the silence; however, today wasn't to be one of those days.

Pan jogged down the stairs, heading out to the gravity room, waving at Bulma as she passed through the kitchen. Just as Pan pushed open the back door, she heard a solid 'CRACK!' Not realizing she had hit someone, the door flung backwards, slamming into her face. A second 'CRACK,' resounding through the room.

Pan fell back on the tiled floor, her hands flew up to cover her nose. "Ugh! What was that?" Sitting herself back up, Pan felt the warmth of blood pooling into her hands. "...Great!" Walking over to the kitchen sink, a groan was heard coming from the other side of the door.

The sound of small blasts exploding drew Trunks' attention towards the gravity room. He was attempting to feel out the number of participants inside the chamber, when the wooden door frame slammed against the side of his head.

As he felt the sidewalk collide with his backside, Trunks shook the dizziness from his eyes. His pulse was echoing between his ears, "You're kidding right? Talk about bad luck...geez!"

Trunks rose to his feet, and shook the remaining double vision from his eyes. Moving slowly, he inched closer and peeked in through the back door.

"Is it safe to come in now?" He looked back and forth to see whom had so graciously dealt a very abrupt wake-up call. Looking about the room for the afore mentioned destructive force, Trunks eyes landed on the back of Pan's head.

"Over here, sorry..." Pan was dangling her dripping face over the sink to contain the mess. "It's safe for now." she cupped the running water to her face, trying to wash away to streaks of blood that oozed between her fingers.

Trunks leaned over the counter next to her to access the damage. "You okay?" Oddly enough he was at a loss for words; they hadn't really spoken since she'd been back, so he'd never given her a proper apology.

Bulma, who was sitting at the table enjoying her coffee, found the scene a bit comical, but knew better than to laugh. Grabbing a towel from the center of the table, she tossed it over to Trunks.

"Why don't you hand that to Pan after she cleans up?" Bulma took her mug of coffee and stood. "I'm heading back down to the lab. Let me know if you kids need anything, alright?"

Trunks pulled the towel off his head, "Thank you mother, I'll catch up with you this afternoon." Returning his attention to Pan, Trunks turned and propped himself against the counter next to her. "Are you sure you're okay? I feel really bad about...that." He gestured to the entirety of her face. "It's not broken or anything, right?" The guilt remaining from their previous conflict was still evident.

"Trunks, I'm fine. Just a little bloody nose, that's all. It was my fault anyways. If I had paid more attention, this wouldn't have happened." Pan held her hand out to Trunks.

"If you're sure..." he trailed off as he handed the towel over to her. He walked over to the table and sat down. "Can we talk? Just for a minute..."

Pan tilted her head back and applied gentle pressure to her nose with the towel. "What do you want to talk about?" Her eyes seemed to bore into him. She was suspicious.

Trunks' gaze dropped. He knew it wasn't going to be easy. Having a calm talk with Pan had never really worked out before, they'd always butt heads with each other.

"I just wanted to say...that I really am sorry. I was wrong." Trunks was still looking down at his hands as he responded to her. Suddenly, his attention was drawn by the sound of Pan dragging a chair in front of him.

"Okay, we can talk." Pan sat, her black eyes softening as she peered at him over the fluffy hand-towel.

Trunks nodded and smiled softly, thankful that she was at least offering to hear him out.

"Like I said, I was wrong. Goten and Dad talked to me about a few things, and I was a jerk to not consider your side of it." He took a steadying breath before he continued.

"You have every right that we do to fight. You put more into training than we ever did." He felt ashamed of himself. " Your decisions aren't mine to make, and it's hard for me, but only because I want you to stay safe." He didn't pause long enough for her to cut in.

"You're not a child anymore, and that's been hard for me to see. I see it now though." A light blush stained his cheeks. "Please don't hate me for caring. I was definitely a jerk though, and disrespected you as a friend. I am truly... sorry." He looked straight into her eyes and asked one final question. "Do you forgive me?"

Pan lowered the towel and cleared her throat. A smirk tugged at the corner of her lips as she spoke. "You idiot..." She watched as Trunks' expression fell.

"You honestly thought that I wouldn't? My pride could not ever be more important than my friends." Pan stood up and walked to Trunks' side. Leaning forward she wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'll always forgive you, ya big dummy." Her grip tightened as she felt his arms encircle her waist, and felt his forhead rest against her abdomen.

Vegeta cleared his throat as he stood in the doorway, arms crossed. "Girl! Were you not supposed to meet me in the gravity chamber... Twenty minutes ago?"

Pan shot up straight, "Yes sir!" She yelped as she tried to back away from Trunks. He had yet to detangle himself from her. "Trunks, I have training. Lemme go." she whispered down to him as she gave him a soft pat on his shoulders.

Trunks was reluctant to release her, but his father's presence slowly brought him around. A bright glow lit his face. "Sorry Panny..." He dropped his arms slowly and pulled away from her. The smells from her skin and shirt lingered and tickled his nose.

Pan backed away, slowly turning as her gaze drifted to settle on her feet. She side stepped past Vegeta on her way out to the chamber. "Sorry Prince Vegeta." He tilted his head slightly in acknowledgement.

Vegeta settled a questioning eye on his son. "Something you need to say, boy?" Trunks looked up at his father, the blush still staining his features.

"No, I was just apologizing... she accepted. That's all." Trunks stood and turned towards the main room of the house. "I told mother I would help her in the lab later on. She wanted help with construction while she worked on the programming portion of her invention."

Vegeta just backed out the way he had come in. No point in embarrassing the boy further. He did have a student to get back to.

Pan looked up as she saw Vegeta enter the room. "I'm sorry, ran into an issue."

Vegeta's grin was firmly in place. " You mean the door, or my son?"

"Oh shut up! Don't act like you don't already know. You don't play dumb very well." Pan shook her head as she returned to her stretches.

"By the way, tomorrow I have somewhere to be. I'm going to go meet up with Grandma Chichi and bring her back here for a bit. Bulma invited her for a visit." Pan spoke softly.

Vegeta walked over to the gravity panel and cranked the gravity up to 250g's. " As long as you prove you deserve a break, you are more than welcome to have a day off."

Without warning Vegeta flung a ball of ki towards the small female. Pan rolled backwards, narrowly avoiding the painful blow. Vegeta followed through and sent a fist to her mid-section. Pan attempted to back pedal but met the wall.

"Shit!" Pan lept up, placing her feet against the wall. Before Vegeta's hit had a chance to land, Pan shot off the wall with her first flying towards his face. Vegeta deflected her with his forearm, but neglected to notice her knee following in its place.

Pan felt her knee slam into Vegeta's nose. Before she managed to break away and put distance between the two of them, she felt his fingers curl around her ankle and an elbow meet the outside of her knee. Releasing his target, Pan caught herself on her one good leg.

Vegeta swore he heard a low growl escape her. She was angry that he'd attacked without warning, but her reaction speed was something to be admired. "Again, girl!" he barked and charged her again.

Their day passed like this until the sun sank behind the horizon. Pan slunk back to her room for a shower, with the intention of getting into bed as soon as possible. Her knee still felt out of place as she wobbled up the steps.

Dark bruises, cuts, and some small gashes from the previous fight, littered Pan's small frame. "That bath can't come soon enough..." She stretched her arms out over her head as she enetered her room.

Vegeta travelled down the steps to the elevator that led to Bulma's lab. "Woman!" he called as he rounded the corner into her sanctuary.

The rhythmic clicks and tapping of her fingers against the keyboard ended with an abrupt squeak. "Vegeta you..." she trailed off and took a breath to calm herself down. "...startled me."

Vegeta smirked as he approached her. "How is your tinkering coming along woman?" He questioned as he rested his hips against her desk.

Bulma sat back in her chair, rubbing the dull ache from her hands and fingers. "I have to write the warp-jump program out so that the device can communicate with the PTO towers. Then I have to transfer the PTO's mapping system into her device so that the plot points align correctly. Then I ha-"

Vegeta cut her off with a raised palm. "Enough, I get it. But how long?"

"Maybe two more weeks." Bulma huffed at having to give such a plain answer. "You are such a fun sucker." she pouted.

Vegeta knew she was brilliant, he just didn't care to stand there and listen to her prattle on and on about it. "You have Trunks to talk crazy genius to." he said flippantly.

"As long as you admit that I'm a genius." She grinned triumphantly.

"Pan will be off to collect the harpy in the morning." Vegeta stated as he turned.

"By the way Vegeta... What happened to you today?" a small giggle erupted from Bulma as she pointed out his appearance.

Vegeta grumbled and tilted his head back to face her. "The girl got a bit cheeky with her training today." His eyes narrowed as he dared her to make another comment.

"Well you need a shower... and some new clothes. Looks like you were sparring with a lawn mower." She couldn't contain herself as the laughter burst from her lips.

Vegeta resumed his escape from her presence. "I'll see you later on woman. It would be wise for you to tone down your enthusiasm at my expense." His voice was low, but he made sure she heard every word he uttered. Vegeta's hair was tousled in differing directions, and his clothes had been ripped and torn in many places. She'd gotten in her fair share of hits. The girl was improving, and quickly.

Pan sank into the warm water of her bath. She could feel the water stinging every cut across her body. Inhaling deeply, she rested her head against the back of the tub. "Today was nuts..." She recalled the morning run in with Trunks.

She knew his apology was sincere. She wasn't bitter, just angry. Everyone thought that the others' level of fighting was inaccessible to her. In truth, she knew she could never be on par with any of them, but that wouldn't stop her from trying. If she gave up, she'd never be better than what she was at that moment.

"I don't want to settle. I don't want to not be enough. I'll have to try harder..." Her eyes drifted closed. She looked up to Trunks, always so sure of his abilities, so smart, and so capable. "And caring..." she didn't mean that in any particular way. He'd said himself that all his harsh words came from a place of worry and caring.

Their small embrace was what had left her a bit flustered and confused. She felt his energy wash over her, and it was a new feeling altogether. It was a new sensation that she had no words for. Pan was hardly ever left speechless. Maybe it was the new understanding between them, she didn't fully comprehend why it seemed so different.

As the ache from the day faded from her tight muscles, Pan dried herself and dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top. She used her bandana as a tie to hold her hair back. Settling into bed, she twisted up in her covers and drifted off into a very restful sleep.

The next morning she dressed quickly: loose jeans, boots, a black tee-shirt, and her bandana tying back her hair.

The flight to the old mountain cottage was uneventful but beautiful. Pan landed and ran up to the front door. "Grandma!" The door swung open before her, revealing her Grandma's beaming face.

"Panny! My grandbaby! Where have you been? You've been gone for far too long. Come in and sit down. I made something small for us to eat before we go." Pan's eyes twinkled as her smile broadened, she had missed her grandmother dearly.

"I've missed you so much!" Pan threw her arms around the women and held her close. "I'm sorry, I never meant to stay gone that long. I was just frustrated... and angry." Chichi rubbed small circles on the girls back.

"Come on in and sit down, we'll talk about it. Sounds like you've had quite a bit going on." Chichi took her by the hand and led her into the kitchen. "Go on, have a seat." As Pan sat down, Chichi was already bustling about the kitchen and setting out numerous plates of food.

Pan backtracked over the past couple of months. Beginning with the fight between herself, Trunks, and Goten. She then grazed over what Vegeta had said to her. She went over her time in the arctic and what she came to realize there. Pan even filled her in on the new training with Vegeta, and on the device that Bulma was working on for her. The only piece of information she had yet to share, was what had happened briefly with Trunks after she'd returned home.

Chichi sat patiently and munched on bits of fruit and toast. Her grand-daughters story both infuriated and enthralled her. Pan's anger didn't really surprise her, that was most definitely an inherited trait. Running off alone wasn't unheard of, but for an entire month... That was new.

"Spending time around Vegeta are you, dear?" Chichi continued in between bites. "He used to do that. Anytime a situation overwhelmed him, he took off. Bulma always used to call and rant about him leaving."

Pan nodded, "Maybe. I just didn't know what to do. I felt like I was losing air and couldn't breath. Then I got so angry that I actually tried to hurt him. That's not me, Grandma." Chichi knew Pan's behavior bothered her a great deal. Pan never had the heart to see someone else in pain.

"This business with Trunks. I know he said he was sorry. But is that all that's going on?" Chichi's idle chit chat was narrowing in on a subject that Pan didn't quite understand.

Pan shrugged, not able to bring her eyes up to look Chichi in the face. "I honestly don't know. At times, I want to rip his head off. Then he starts acting weird and that confused me. Then yesterday... well... I gave him a hug. It was different somehow, well it felt different to me." Her agitation grew as she tried to explain. "The air in the room was just different, I don't know..."

Chichi's smile was warm as she let her eyes travel over Pan's features. "And how was it different, dear?" she placed her elbows on the table and laced her fingers together in a thoughtful manner.

Pan sat for a moment and thought about what she was asking. "Well, it was calming. I haven't really had much time to think it over, though. It's only been a day." She shrugged off what she was feeling and stood abruptly. "You ready grandma?"

Chichi stood as well, placing the dishes in the washer and turning it on before they left for the next week or two. "I'll drop it for now, but think about it okay? Figuring it out may make you feel better, and might put you at ease." Walking to the front door, Chichi stepped outside.

Pan swallowed down the last bite of her meal, and then followed after her grandmother. "I'm coming, and I'll think about it. Would you like me to carry you, or would you rather me call Nimbus?"

"Oh dearest, please call the nimbus. How lady-like would it be for you or myself, if you were to carry me?" Chichi's giggle was melodic as she looked up towards the sky.

Pan dropped her fists to her sides, and took a deep breath. "NIMBUS!" She belted out at the top of her lungs. The little cloud could be quick when it wanted.

Pan heard the little clouds' puttering whistle, and noted the tail streaking across the horizon. It came to a screeching halt before her and Chichi. "Hop on." Chichi climbed atop the cloud and crossed her legs.

"Okay Nimbus, just follow me." Pan took off at an easy pace. "Come on Nimbus, keep up!" She smiled as she rose up into the clouds and drifted through the giant puffs of moisture and cold air. They flew like this for just over an hour.

Chichi waved up to Pan "Come here dear!" Yelling over the wind so she could be heard. Pan slowed her flight to match the small clouds'.

"What is it?" Pan asked as she drifted lazily alongside her grandmother.

Chichi tapped the little cloud, indicating her need to slow down a bit more. "We're almost there so there's one more thing I'd like to say." She paused as Pan sat up, giving full attention to her.

"Yes ma'am?" Her hair was still whipping about her face as they flew.

"You know, you may not have the same strength as the boys, but you do excel in other areas. Your speed and agility are nothing to frown at. Your flexibility and capacity for adjusting your styles to fit the situation. Those are all just a few of the talents that don't limit your fighting ability. You don't have to solely rely on strength and power. You have an arsenal my dear, utilize all of your gifts." Chichi had remembered sparring with the girl when she was younger.

She remembered having difficulties keeping up and staying focused on her movements. She was never a child to sit still for long. When Pan really got going, her movements seemed more like a dance. Chichi was fluid in her strikes, but Pan's movements would change almost instantly any time her grandmother changed styles. The way her body could twist and contort to avoid even the most point black of attacks. The only way she could describe these moments was "beautiful."

Pan nodded with a smile as she thought about the first blow she had landed on Vegeta the day before. He hadn't expected her to retaliate. He hadn't expected a few more of her other attacks throughout the day either. She wasn't the only one that took a beating the day before.

Capsule Corporation rose up in the distance as the two began their descent. Landing softly at the front door, Pan typed in the security code and helped Chichi down off the Nimbus as the doors slid open. Walking into the living room, they met with a smiling Bulma sitting on the couch with coffee waiting.

"Sit down, guys. Tell me all about your morning," Bulma said as she poured a few cups.

"Oh Bulma, I'm much more curious about what you've been up to since the last time we talked. Is it almost ready?" Chichi came forward and sat next to her long time friend.

"Two weeks at the most, and so far its coming along much easier than I anticipated." Bulma crossed her legs as she sipped her steaming cup.

"Grandma, while you and Miss Bulma catch up, would you mind if I went and had a word with Vegeta?" Pan's smile was all she needed.

"Go ahead sweetheart, and don't forget what I said on the way over." She waved the girl on, noticing the bounce in her step as she headed off.

Pan could hear the older women giggling as she stepped out the back door. It was good to see her grandmother so energetic and happy.


End file.
